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Thursday, 28 August 2008

Hey everyone. I'm just letting you all know that Tropical Storm Gustav is going to be over my little island for the next day or so and I may not be able to post anything new for a few days. I'll be back as soon as I can and thanks to all of you who read the blog and leave comments and stuff.

Wednesday, 27 August 2008

When fans of the Highlander film franchise heard that the series was set for a reboot courtesy of Summit Entertainment, the first question they wanted answered was who would star in the film. Would it be the original Highlander Christopher Lambert, or possibly Adrian Paul the star of the popular TV series. If a JoBlo tipster is correct, the answer could be ‘none of the above’.

According to the site, Journeyman star Kevin McKidd mentioned on Dublin radio that the film’s producers had approached him about starring in the movie. McKidd is a Scotsman and Summit has said that they would like to take the series back to it’s medieval Scotland roots, so maybe that has something to do with the interest in McKidd.

The original Highlander film, starred Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert as members of a secret race of immortals fighting for the right to be the last one standing.

Even if they don't use Kevin McKidd (and they would be crazy not to) they probably have no choice but to use a Scottish actor in the role.

Tuesday, 26 August 2008

McGregor plays Phillip Morris, and co-star Jim Carrey plays married man, Steven Russell, who is sentenced to three years in a Texas prison and falls in love with his cell mate Phillip Morris. When Morris is finally released from prison, Russell repeatedly tries to escape in order to be with him. The film is set for release in early 2009.

Friday, 22 August 2008

We're about six months away from the return of new Lost episodes, but thankfully we now know the fate of Desmond Hume. Well sort of. Matt Mittovich, a source from the Lost set revealed that Henry Ian Cusick, who plays, Desmond is indeed a cast member on season 5. Which means he hasn't been killed off, or sent back in time, or been eaten by the black cloud - though knowing Lost anything is possible. Everyone has their own theory about how Desmond will fit in-the best coming from here.

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

James McAvoy and Emily Blunt might soon discover the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence -- if you're a garden gnome in love.

The pair are in negotiations to play the title roles of Gnomeo and Juliet, a CGI-animated Shakespeare adaptation from Miramax and Elton John's Rocket Pictures.

The film will feature several John classics but not Kate Winslet; she was first attached to voice Juliet two years ago and fell out because of scheduling conflicts. Tim Rice also was approached to write original songs with his Lion King partner John at the time, but the soundtrack now will be filled with the performer's well-known hits and possibly a few new tracks.

In the loose and edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's play, McAvoy (Atonement) and Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) would play lovers from rival gardens. John, who is producing alongside his offscreen partner David Furnish, Baker Bloodworth and Steve Hamilton Shaw, is said to be pursuing big-name talent to voice supporting roles.

Rocket initially brought Gnomeo to Walt Disney Feature Animation, but several years later the project was dropped by incoming Pixar executives John Lasseter and Ed Catmull. Miramax president Daniel Battsek, who followed the project while at Buena Vista International, persuaded Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook to revive it at his specialty division in April 2006.

Kelly Asbury will direct from an original script by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith. Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley and Mark Burton have worked on later versions of the screenplay. Now in the storyboard stage, production is expected to be completed by 2010.

McAvoy, repped by WMA and United Agents, had his first big-budget hit with this summer's Wanted. After a string of upcoming indies, the CAA- and Ken McReddie Associates-repped Blunt is expected to follow suit with The Wolfman in summer 2009.

I also found video of an Entertainment Weekly interview with Gerard Butler and his RocknRolla co-stars Jeremy Piven and Idris Elba. If you want to watch the interview go here and click on the label marked "October" in the top right corner and then select the RocknRolla video. Sorry people, EW won't let me embed the video.

Monday, 18 August 2008

RocknRolla was shown at a surprise screening at Movie-Con this weekend; according to Empire magazine's official site, the crowd went a little crazy for it. There's a new exclusive TV spot for the film with Gerard Butler so just go here to watch it.

Friday, 15 August 2008

By now many of our visitors have read the article from the Los Angeles Times about RockNRolla and its limited North American release (3 cities on October 8 and 800 cities on October 31).

So, what to do? If you, your family members, your friends and everyone else you know want to see this “English film” in a theater near you, let’s start the campaign for that to happen now! With a cast that includes not only Gerry, but Idris Elba, Jeremy Piven, Chris Bridges (Ludacris), Tom Wilkinson and Thandie Newton, it would be a shame that more people would miss out on the chance to see this film on the big screen!

Consider voicing your support and we can send the message to Warner Bros. that this film deserves a wide release and a little marketing money! Let them know that we love “English films”! Use any or all of the links below!

I've realised that there are a lot of Gerard fans outside of the US like me who would really like to see RocknRolla as well. Usually when a film is released in a lot of theaters in the US then it has a much greater chance of being released, or being released sooner in other countries so everyone get involved if you want to see the film.

Stone of Destiny starring Scottish actors Robert Carlyle and Billy Boyd will close the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival on September 13.

According to the festival's official site you can purchase tickets online at tiff08.ca, by phone at 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM or in person at the Festival Box office at Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (main floor, north entrance). Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Another film that will premier at the festival is The Brother's Bloom which stars Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane. Here's the trailer for you:

Thursday, 14 August 2008

You know, I just knew I shouldn't have gotten overexcited about RocknRolla but I did anyway. How could I resist Guy Ritchie's "comeback" and Gerard Butler? Here's how the LA Times chose to depress me:

Guy Ritchie's upcoming gangster film, RocknRolla, is due to be released by Warner Bros. in early October. So why was the film's producer, the inimitable Joel Silver, showing the film to executives at Lionsgate and Sony Pictures?

According to my colleague John Horn, Silver said he was screening it for other studios to get their advice about marketing and release plans for the picture. You can imagine how tickled Warners' marketing staff must've been, hearing the news that the studio's top producer was out soliciting ideas about how to sell his picture from rival studios.

What's going on here? I went to Warners chief Alan Horn for some answers:

RocknRolla was financed by Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment, which has delivered a series of low-budget horror films to Warners, including The Reaping and House of Wax. Silver's deal entitles his films to a 800-screen wide release, but Warners ultimately decides how much of a marketing spend it's willing to risk on the film. In the past, when Warners had concerns about a film's commercial prospects, it has tried a limited three-city release, supported with TV advertising, to gauge a film's reception in the marketplace. The results are rarely encouraging, which Silver knows all too well; Warners did a similar release in 2005 with the Shane Black-directed Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, a Silver-produced comedy thriller that got good reviews but never won a broader national release. It's no wonder a savvy producer like Silver would be approaching a studio like Lionsgate, which makes its living releasing edgy films like RocknRolla.

Horn was honest about his assessment of the film. "I think it's a well-made picture, but while it's funny in spots, it's very English," he said. "I don't think it's broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we'll honor, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to."

Horn shrugged. "I guess I'm in a shocking state of equanimity," he said. "The filmmakers have every right to do what they think is best in support of their movies. But we have the right to do what's best for Warner Bros. Sometimes the pursuit of those interests results in a disagreement. For now, we're preparing to release the film in October, but I don't see it starting out on 800 screens. If Joel is thinking there is someone out there willing to spend twice as much money as we're willing to, I'm sure he will pursue that."

I really hope Warner Brothers at least considers the mass appeal Gerard Butler has - they must have at least noticed the fan reaction to him at Comic-Con last month.

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

Scottish actors Ewan McGregor and Robbie Coltrane are among 24 celebrities who donated their glasses to a charity auction. Here's more from the auction's official site:

All glasses will be listed on EBay, the auction kicks off on Friday 15 August at 10am, and will end on Sunday 24 August at 10am.

What would you miss?

The campaign also encouraged the participating celebrities to think about what they would miss most without their specs.

Ewan McGregor commented: “Without my specs I couldn't get around so safely and I couldn't see the beautiful colours of the world.” BBC news reader Kate Silverton was more pragmatic: “Without my specs I would have difficulty doing my job reading the news”. Writer Alan Bennett said: “I can see perfectly well but my face looks rather odd.”

The impact in the developing world

In developing countries it can be a challenge for people to get their eyes tested and buy a pair of glasses. This is often because there are too few ophthalmologists, not enough equipment and also people simply can’t afford prescription lenses. Not having glasses effectively renders people blind or visually impaired usually with disastrous consequences for their livelihoods, families, schooling and quality of life. Last year Sightsavers screened more than two million people across three continents to see if they need glasses, and we hope to reach even more this year. We can provide new glasses for as little as £1.50 per pair.

The lots available can be viewed and bid for at www.sightsavers.org/ebay. All glasses start from just £15, the equivalent of ten pairs of glasses in the developing world.

Monday, 11 August 2008

The Movie Fanatic featured James on its list of Hollywood's 15 most sought after young foreign actors. Here's the part of the article that focuses on James:

"James McAvoy: He's the leader of the so-called Britpack, a fresh batch of talented British actors who are conquering Hollywood. Definitely one of the busiest actors today, James McAvoy seems capable of playing any role he chooses.

Scottish actor James McAvoy has emerged as the front-runner in this band of highly sought-after performers. Slightly built, without the requisite Hollywood tan or dazzling white teeth (one critic unkindly called him "pasty") McAvoy, 28, has always insisted he never set out to be an actor. 'I only did it because I was allowed to do it and I had to do something." He was discovered as a teenager by the director David Hayman when he came to speak at McAvoy's school. The other kids were being disruptive, but James went up at the end and said how much he'd enjoyed the talk and asked Hayman if could do some work experience on his next film, perhaps make the tea. Four months later Hayman called him to audition for a role...

It's this perspective that has in part led him to make intelligent career choices - appearing in Shameless, then putting in a mercurial turn in the TV conspiracy thriller State of Play and most recently taking a leading role in The Last King of Scotland, in which he more than held his own opposite the eventual Oscar winner Forest Whitaker. Next up is a starring role in Joe Wright's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement (scheduled for release in September). And yet what characterises him and many of the Mac Pack is that he appears genuinely unstarry despite his success."

With all his success, I'm often surprised at how James can walk around in broad daylight without having a giant mob chasing him down the street. Which probably speaks volumes about James' ability to totally hide behind every character he plays and then not be recognized in the real world.

Also don't forget to vote for James in the best actor category at the National Movie Awards.

Thursday, 7 August 2008

Stone of Destiny has an official UK release date now - Oct. 10, 2008 so if any UK fans want to catch both Billy Boyd and Robert Carlyle go check out the movie.

The film will also be screened in Sudbury, Ontario at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival which opens September 13, 2008. The complete festival schedule will be released in early September. I'm not sure if Billy or Robert will be attending, but if there's any news I'll be sure to post it.

Stone of Destiny, starring Charlie Cox (Stardust) as the young Ian Hamilton, with Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle and Brenda Fricker, tells the story of four Scottish students who, in a daring raid in the 1950s, bring the Stone of Scone back to Scotland. The film is due for release in 2008, and is expected to generate a lot of interest in Scottish history and Scottish identity, which will in turn help to promote Scotland as a tourist destination in 2008.

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

Just Jared posted 10 photos of Gerard Butler at the screening of Elegy at the Tribeca Grand Screening Room on Tuesday. He attended the after party with the star of the film, Patricia Clarkson. Here are the photos for you:

Warner Bros. just released the HQ version of the brand new US RocknRolla poster featuring Gerard Butler. People at Comic-Con were able to see it last month, but the studio has finally released it for the rest of us!Source: Gerard Butler dot Net

Sunday, 3 August 2008

James McAvoy has been nominated for Best Actor for Wanted at the second annual National Movie Awards. The deadline for voting is August 17, 2008 and you can go here to vote. The results will be announced at the awards ceremony in September and will air in the UK on ITV1.

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